Representing and Searching Network Multicast Trees

1. A method, comprising: receiving data from a plurality of components in a network, the components being arranged as a plurality of multicast trees, the data from the plurality of components indicating a structure of at least a portion of the network and attributes that are associated with the components; receiving at least one search criterion, wherein the at least one search criterion specifies a particular quantitative difference between one or more of the attributes that are associated with different ones of the components; and determining, based on the data, which one or more of the plurality of multicast trees meet the at least one search criterion.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the attributes is an attribute chosen from the following attributes: a data rate as measured at one of the components, an error rate as measured at one of the components, and a packet rate as measured at one of the components, and wherein the at least one search criterion specifies at least one rate chosen from the following rates: a data rate, an error rate, and a packet rate.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one search criterion specifies a particular one or more of the attributes as being associated with a particular one or more of the components.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said determining comprises comparing the at least one search criterion with one or more of the attributes and with information not represented by any of the attributes.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one search criterion specifies a particular path structure, and wherein said determining which one or more of the multicast trees meet the at least one search criterion comprises determining which one or more of the multicast trees has a structure consistent with the particular path structure.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining a structure of at least some of the multicast trees, wherein the data from each of at least some of the components represents a local view of the structure of the at least a portion of the network from a point of view of the respective component, and wherein said determining the structure of the at least some of the multicast trees comprises combining the local views.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein said determining comprises determining which one or more of the plurality of multicast trees has at least the particular quantitative difference between the attributes.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the particular quantitative difference comprises a predetermined value of a difference in packet rates across at least some of the components.

9. A method, comprising: receiving data from a plurality of components in a network, the components being arranged as a plurality of multicast trees, the data from the plurality of components indicating a structure of at least a portion of the network and attributes that are associated with the components; receiving at least one search criterion; and determining, based on the data, which one or more of the plurality of multicast trees meet the at least one search criterion, wherein said determining comprises comparing at least a portion of the at least one search criterion with one or more of the attributes and comparing at least another portion of the at least one search criterion with information not represented by any of the attributes.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein at least one of the attributes is an attribute chosen from the following attributes: a data rate as measured at one of the components, an error rate as measured at one of the components, and a packet rate as measured at one of the components, and wherein the at least one search criterion specifies at least one rate chosen from the following rates: a data rate, an error rate, and a packet rate.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the at least one search criterion specifies a particular one or more of the attributes as being associated with a particular one or more of the components.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the at least one search criterion specifies a particular path structure, and wherein said determining which one or more of the multicast trees meet the at least one search criterion comprises determining which one or more of the multicast trees has a structure consistent with the particular path structure.

13. The method of claim 9 , further comprising determining a structure of at least some of the multicast trees, wherein the data from each of at least some of the components represents a local view of the structure of the network from a point of view of the respective component, and wherein said determining the structure of the at least some of the multicast trees comprises combining the local views.

14. A method, comprising: receiving data from a plurality of components in a network, the components being arranged as a plurality of multicast trees, the data from the plurality of components indicating a structure of at least a portion of the network and attributes that are associated with the components; receiving at least one search criterion; determining, based on the data, which one or more of the plurality of multicast trees meet the at least one search criterion; and determining, based on the data, a structure of at least some of the plurality of multicast trees, wherein the at least one search criterion specifies a particular path structure, and wherein said determining which one or more of the plurality of multicast trees meet the at least one search criterion comprises determining which one or more of the plurality of multicast trees have a structure consistent with the particular path structure.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the data from each of at least some of the components represents a local view of the structure of the at least a portion of the network from a point of view of the respective component, and wherein said determining the structure of the at least some of the multicast trees comprises combining the local views.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein at least one of the attributes is an attribute chosen from the following attributes: a data rate as measured at one of the components, an error rate as measured at one of the components, and a packet rate as measured at one of the components, and wherein the at least one search criterion specifies at least one rate chosen from the following rates: a data rate, an error rate, and a packet rate.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the at least one search criterion specifies a particular one or more of the attributes as being associated with a particular one or more of the components.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the particular path structure comprises a particular source network address, and wherein said determining which one or more of the plurality of multicast trees meet the at least one search criterion comprises determining which one or more of the plurality of multicast trees comprise the particular source network address.

19. The method of claim 14 , wherein the particular path structure comprises a particular component interface, and wherein said determining which one or more of the plurality of multicast trees meet the at least one search criterion comprises determining which one or more of the plurality of multicast trees uses the particular component interface.

20. The method of claim 14 , wherein the particular path structure comprises a particular location of a particular component within one of the multicast trees, and wherein said determining which one or more of the plurality of multicast trees meet the at least one search criterion comprises determining which one or more of the plurality of multicast trees has the particular component at the particular location within the respective multicast tree.